In order to deepen reform, give full play to the guiding function of experts, actively and effectively stimulate the construction of the digital library, and improve the service level of library for education, teaching, and scientific research, on 27th June 2018, a seminar on digital library construction at the Open University of China (OUC) was convened at the OUC’s Wukesong headquarters. President of the OUC Yang Zhijian, vice president of the OUC Li Linshu, committee members from the Steering Committee of the OUC Digital Library Construction, relevant representatives from the branches, and relevant personnel from the library of OUC headquarters participated in the conference.

The Regulations for the Steering Committee for OUC Digital Library Construction was approved at the conference. Yang Zhijian issued letters of appointment to each committee member from regular universities and colleges of higher learning, scientific research institutions, and the OUC organisational system.

Yang Zhijian offered his congratulations on the foundation of the Steering Committee for OUC Digital Library Construction. He pointed out that the construction of the digital library has special significance to the OUC and is of great importance. The foundation of the committee shows that the construction of the digital library has entered a new phase. Over the past few years, the library of the OUC has actively explored ways of serving the construction of a system of school-running, requirements for digital learning, and the construction of a personnel training model based on Six-Network Integration. The construction of the digital library has achieved initial results. In the future, construction will focus on a mechanism for co-construction and the sharing of resources, with the aim of better satisfying the learning requirements of students.

Du Ruo, director of the OUC Learning Resources Department and curator of the library, introduced the progress of construction and the ideas behind the digital library with the topic of Building a Top Open University and Digital Library.

Cao Gang, secretary of the Steering Committee for OUC Digital Library Construction, introduced the revision of the charter and future working visions of the committee.

With a focus on library construction experience across the OUC system and in regular universities and colleges, the committee members and representatives gave opinions and suggestions, in line with the practical construction of the digital library. They reached a consensus on the future development direction of the digital library, the creation of a co-construction mechanism, sharing of resources, document information service to teachers and students, and the top-level design scheme for the digital library.

By Cao Gang, OUC